Beijing bans another comedian from social networks

Today's headlines: Pakistan protests against Indian summit in Kashmir; Singapore's farm production down 20%; Japan may soon have a new law on permanent residences of foreigners; Tajikistan repatriates women and children, relatives of former Isis fighters, from Syria.

CHINA

Beijing has suspended comedian Nigel Ng's social profiles because of some jokes mocking the authoritarian government. Nigel Ng, originally from Malaysia, had previously had to apologise following a collaboration with a YouTuber critical of China. Last week, Chinese comedian Li Haoshi was arrested and now faces up to three years in prison. The company that hired him will have to pay a .1 million fine and many fear that the cabaret shows may be abolished.

JAPAN

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Japan has approved a proposal that would allow skilled foreign workers to stay in the country indefinitely. This is a major regulatory reform for the Japanese archipelago, which has always been against the stay of citizens of other nations. The law, passed at the request of companies seeking labour, would broaden the sectors for which a permanent visa can be granted.

SINGAPORE

Last month's extreme heat has damaged Singapore's crops and livestock: according to some farms, production has dropped by at least 20% this year. According to experts, climate change is likely to prevent Singapore from reaching the '30 by 30' target, which concerns the capacity to produce 30 per cent of local food needs by 2030.

PAKISTAN - INDIA

Hundreds of Pakistanis yesterday demonstrated against India's decision to hold a tourism summit in Kashmir ahead of the G20 in September. In Muzaffarabad, capital of the Pakistan-administered part of the country, protesters shouted slogans against Delhi and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who is visiting the region, called the Indian summit "illegal".

YEMEN

A 19-year-old pregnant woman travelled 40 km on a camel to give birth in hospital. It took Mona and her husband seven hours through narrow and rocky roads: in the province of Mahweet in north-west Yemen only one health facility was spared by the war. According to UN figures, a woman dies every two hours in Yemen during childbirth from preventable causes.

TAJIKISTAN - SYRIA

Tajikistan has announced that it has repatriated from Syria 32 women and 79 children, relatives of Isis terrorists of Tajik citizenship, and some Kazakhs, thanks to the work of the Tajik ambassador to Kuwait and Syria, Zubajdullo Zubajdzoda, who had been imprisoned in refugee camps in Syria since 2019, following the defeat of Isis.

GEORGIA

A permanent protest demonstration began in front of the parliament in Tbilisi, under the slogan 'Georgia will not become a governorate of Russia'. The organisers call for a demonstration of 'unity between adults and youth, women and men, to continue the work of the heroes who gave blood for the independence of our country'.

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